opinion--no carb diet

sbic56, BSN, RN · Jan 12, 2004

SnowymtnRN

No offense taken! Just a good, healthy discussion. I didn't sense any raging hormones! But, congrats! What an exciting time for you!

LydiaNN · Jan 12, 2004

There is actually a weight loss clinic chain that uses a next to no carb approach. It is called Lindora. The whole point is to throw your body into ketosis. They give you sticks to test your urine everyday. A psychiatrist I used to work for was on this method. Interesting thing about this woman, for being a physician she sure took a lot of risks with her health and the health of her kids. She once put her young son (11, if I remember right) on the cabbage soup diet. She mixes and matches meds and the medicine cabinets in that house look like a pharmacy shelf. I digress. What I was getting at before my tangent is that it certainly was effective but for sure, I couldn't have stood it. I do remember that she was allowed lettuce and watermelon though (yum yum), so obviously it wasn't totally no carb.

Altra, BSN, RN · Jan 12, 2004

Originally posted by Hellllllo Nurse
The Dept of Agriculture had just revised the food pyramid- white bread, potatos and rice are now at the top of the pyramid in the "use sparingly" catagory.

Helllllo Nurse,

Wow - this is big news. (to me at least) Do you have a link to any DOA info on this?

Thanks much,

Leigh

SnowymtnRN · Jan 12, 2004

Originally posted by MLOS
Helllllo Nurse,

Wow - this is big news. (to me at least) Do you have a link to any DOA info on this?

Thanks much,
Leigh

I had no idea! I'd love to see a link too!!!

RNPD · Jan 12, 2004

sbic-a low carb diet isn't for everyone. It did work for me and I did need to lose weight. I have read research that followed people on low carb diets who ate the same amount of calories/day as traditional dieters. At the end of the research period the low carbers averaged 7 more lost pounds that the traditionla calorie restricted dieters. It may be that the low carbers have better insulin resistance control and that they avoid blood sugar spikes allowing for better metabolism of the same calories.

Your diet sounds quite healthy for you and I agree that if you aren't a meat lover you will have a difficult time being satisfied on this diet. As I said in my first post, whatever works for you is your ideal diet!

I do think that low carb diet or not, everyone can benefit from staying away from simple carbs and refined carbs such as white breads, sweets, and huge amounts of pasta/rice, as well as trying to eat foods with a low glycemic index. Once I lose all the weight I need to that is the type of diet I intend to follow for life. If I add carbs and see my weight creeping up, I'l know I need to cut back further. But I am hoping to enjoy my Sunday spaghetti and meatballs once again in the not too distant future!

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jan 12, 2004

As with almost everything else in life, moderation is the key to dieting. Anything too extreme, that completely excludes a group or groups of nutrients, is not going to be healthy in the long term and I'd like to think everyone should know this by now! I did a form of the Atkins induction for the first 2 weeks of my diet, but even then I was taking in around 40 grams of CHO a day......20 was too low. Now I've settled in at around 50-60 grams a day, and I'm losing weight and feeling GREAT! I'm even eating small amounts of grains and increasing my veggies......the only foods I'm avoiding totally are sugar and white flour, because of their effects on my blood glucose and general well-being.

The thing to remember is that whatever one chooses to do has to be do-able for LIFE, not a few weeks or months, or even a year. Most people cannot maintain wholesale dietary changes for long, which is why the "cure" rate for obesity is so low and the diet industry is so rich. I know when I was contemplating this latest attempt at getting my weight under control, I'd bargained with myself that I would give it all I had for a year and then reassess after I'd lost the 100 pounds; but it has not taken many days of revamping my eating patterns (and the corresponding increase in my sense of well-being and sense of mastery) to realize that I have to keep doing this for the rest of my life.

Maybe someday I won't have to be as strict with myself, but that time is a long way off and I can't count on it coming at all. I'm finally at peace with that........and while I can't promise that I'll never fall off the wagon, I'm going to take it one day at a time, sometimes even one MEAL at a time.

Dplear · Jan 12, 2004

First lets get something straight. The low carb/no carb diets do NOT put you in ketoacidosis. That would be life threatening. Ask any diabetic about that. It puts you in a state of Ketosis. BIG DIFFERENCE, real big difference. Atkins is very similar to a ketogenic diet that is also used for controlling seziures in kids and adults (They stay on that diet some times for life) In that it makes you spill out ketones which are byproducts of metabolism of fat. You body can function fine with out carbs. To the body a calorie is a calorie. It prefers carbs because they are easier to break down into blood sugars but it will break down protiens into the same end products. Remember a carb is a step away from sugar. Protien just requires more break down. Basic nutrition here folks. As for needing carbs from breads and such, you can get all the carbs you want or need from veggies. It is just a state of mind that you feel like you need breads. I started Atkins 4 weeks ago and have dropped 25 lbs on it so far. I have changed my eating habits and have changed the lifestyle. I so not crave carbs like I did. Sure I would love a big piece of cake now and then but I also realize I do not need it. If I get hungry for something sweet I eat BBQ pork rinds. No carbs and actually kinda sweet.

As for your cholesterol. It does drop. This is a very cardiac friendly diet. my pulse rate has dropped 30 points at activity since I started it, and 20 points at rest. That is good for my heart. It is not having to work as hard now.

Dave

Peeps Mcarthur · Jan 12, 2004

It seems that the posters that think low-carb is viable have actual numerical data such as pre and post total cholesterol.

The posters that think low-carb is a bad idea seem to have only subjective opinnions about it.

Certainly, if you are going to have an opinnion that a layman would seek because of assumed medical knowledge, you had better know why.

In my experience that's the next thing out of thier mouth.

BTW:

The brain does NOT need ketones to function in the absece of carbohydrates. When there are insufficient stores of glycogen, the liver can make more.

Glycogen can be synthesised from fatty acids and amino acids in a process called gluconeogenisis in the liver.

The CNS does need it, but the human body is an amazing adaptive machine and the liver is the main gear!!

Anyhoo, just thought I'd throw in.

SnowymtnRN · Jan 12, 2004

Originally posted by Dplear
First lets get something straight. The low carb/no carb diets do NOT put you in ketoacidosis. That would be life threatening. Ask any diabetic about that. It puts you in a state of Ketosis. BIG DIFFERENCE, real big difference. Atkins is very similar to a ketogenic diet that is also used for controlling seziures in kids and adults (They stay on that diet some times for life) In that it makes you spill out ketones which are byproducts of metabolism of fat. You body can function fine with out carbs. To the body a calorie is a calorie. It prefers carbs because they are easier to break down into blood sugars but it will break down protiens into the same end products. Remember a carb is a step away from sugar. Protien just requires more break down. Basic nutrition here folks. As for needing carbs from breads and such, you can get all the carbs you want or need from veggies. It is just a state of mind that you feel like you need breads. I started Atkins 4 weeks ago and have dropped 25 lbs on it so far. I have changed my eating habits and have changed the lifestyle. I so not crave carbs like I did. Sure I would love a big piece of cake now and then but I also realize I do not need it. If I get hungry for something sweet I eat BBQ pork rinds. No carbs and actually kinda sweet.

As for your cholesterol. It does drop. This is a very cardiac friendly diet. my pulse rate has dropped 30 points at activity since I started it, and 20 points at rest. That is good for my heart. It is not having to work as hard now.

Dave

VERY good point. i missed that post i guess. I think that's why there's a lot of negativity about this diet as well. They confuse ketoacidosis for ketosis.

sbic56, BSN, RN · Jan 12, 2004

Peeps

Those who tout the low carb diets might feel they need to justify it and that is why they quote all these lab values and such. (Not saying I do....I believe the studies, too.) A diet that includes complex carbs, plenty of fruits and veggies and some meats has already been proven to be sound, so those who prefer it over very low carb don't feel they need to prove anything. It seems all agree that simple sugars, bleached flour products and processed foods aren't good for anyone. Beyond that, it is to each his own. It's kind of like picking a political party or a religion or not; all good, whatever works for the individual is best.

klone, MSN, RN · Jan 13, 2004

Originally posted by Dplear
Sure I would love a big piece of cake now and then but I also realize I do not need it. If I get hungry for something sweet I eat BBQ pork rinds. No carbs and actually kinda sweet.

Which is probably no more healthy than that piece of cake.

Peeps Mcarthur · Jan 14, 2004

By Sbic56

so those who prefer it over very low carb don't feel they need to prove anything.

Quite right....................unless they are trying to make a statement about efficacy/safety of the low carbohydrate type diet as if they are a credible source.

Especially in a conversation with a person that assumes that the scientific evidence has been reviewed or at the very least considered.